Windows 2000 Datacenter Server is designed for the very largest corporate
databases (called data warehouses) and other applications requiring high-speed
computation and large data storage.
Module 1: Computers and Software in Networks
52
Introduction to Networking
M
o
d
u
l
e
R
e
v
i
e
w
1. Which of the following devices is not considered an internetworking
device?
a. Web server
b. Switch
c. Router
d. Firewall
2. Put the following computer types in order of processing power.
Midrange
Mainframe
Server
Laptop
Netbook
Desktop
3. What is the standards-based name for the address that is burned
onto a NIC?
a. Organizationally Unique Identifier
b. IEEE Address
c. NIC Identifier
d. Hexadecimal Identifier
4. What components are common to all computer systems? (Choose
two.)
a. NIC
b. Mouse
c. CPU
d. Random Access Memory
5. Which of the following users is likely to need a video accelerator?
a. A secretary performing data entry
b. An engineer generating three-dimensional design renderings
c. An analyst performing database queries
d. An accountant producing large reports
6. Which of the following listed video display modes offers the highest
resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio?
a. CGA
b. VGA
c. SVGA
Module Review
Introduction to Networking
63
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We will begin considering the physical qualities of the network itself by discussing the
nature of electronic communication and explaining how information can be transmitted
as an analog or a digital signal. We then explore the various physical layouts or
topologies of data networks and show how the pattern of signal flow depends on the
topology of the network.
We then describe the characteristics of the three main types of physical transmission
media used in networks: copper cable, fiber optic cable, and wireless communication
(radio waves). We learn how signals travel over each media, and their relative
advantages and disadvantages.
As you work through this module, it is important to remember that there is no “best”
network topology or physical medium. A network designer’s choice of topology and
cabling (or lack of it) is determined by the type of work the network must do, and the
type of physical environment it must work in.
Introduction to Networking
67
T
e
r
m
s
a
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
—Amplitude is the height of a wave, or how far from the center it
swings.
a
n
a
l
o
g
—A signal transmitted as a pattern of continually changing
electromagnetic waves is referred to as an analog signal.
A
m
e
r
i
c
a
n
N
a
t
i
o
n
a
l
S
t
a
n
d
a
r
d
s
I
n
s
t
i
t
u
t
e
(
A
N
S
I
)
—ANSI is a U.S. voluntary
organization that develops and publishes standards for data communications,
programming languages, magnetic storage media, office systems, and
encryption. ANSI represents the United States as a member of ISO and IEC.
a
s
y
n
c
h
r
o
n
o
u
s
—Asynchronous operation means that bits are not transmitted
on any strict timetable. Transmitting a start bit indicates the start of each
character. After the final bit of the character is transmitted, a stop bit is sent,
indicating the end of the character. The sending and receiving modems must
stay in synchronization only for the length of time it takes to transmit the 8
bits. If their clocks are slightly out of synch, data transfer will still be successful.
b
a
c
k
b
o
n
e
—A backbone is the portion of a network that carries the most
significant traffic. It is also the part of the network that connects many smaller
networks to form a larger network.
b
a
n
d
w
i
d
t
h
—Bandwidth is a measure of the information-carrying capacity of a
channel. In analog networks, bandwidth is the difference between the highest
and lowest frequencies that can be transmitted across a communication link.
Analog networks measure bandwidth in cycles per second (Hz). Digital
networks measure bandwidth in Kbps, Mbps, and Gbps.
b
a
s
e
b
a
n
d
—Baseband is a form of digital modulation in which one signal takes
up the entire available bandwidth of the communication channel.
b
i
n
a
r
y
—Binary refers to the base 2 numbering system used by computers to
represent information. Binary numbers consist of only two values: 1 and 0. In a
binary number, each position is two times greater than the position to its right.
b
i
t
—A bit, also referred to as a binary digit, is a single value that makes up a
binary number. A bit can be either 1 or 0. See binary.
B
N
C
c
o
n
n
e
c
t
o
r
—BNC connectors are small devices used to connect
computers to a thin coaxial cable bus (10Base2) or terminate the ends of a
bus. There are several different types of BNC connectors. A BNC barrel
connector joins two Thinnet cables. A BNC terminator is used to terminate
the end of a cable. It acts as a resistive load that absorbs the signal that
reaches one end of the bus. (Two terminators are needed on each bus.) BNC
adapters connect different types of cable, such as Thinnet to Thicknet.
Module 2: Carrier Signals, Cable Types, and Network Topologies
68
Introduction to Networking
